In the earliest days of the Dreamtime, Echidna, known as Dakalo, did not yet have sharp spines. Its back was covered in soft fur, and it was respected as a skilled and clever hunter, especially gifted at finding food hidden deep inside rocks and narrow crevices. At that time, Echidna and Snake were close companions, sometimes described as cousins, sometimes as lifelong friends. They traveled together across the land, hunted side by side, and shared whatever food they found, bound by trust and cooperation.
One day, Echidna returned from a successful hunt carrying more food than usual. Exhausted from the long journey, Echidna asked Snake to guard the food while it rested. Snake agreed, but as Echidna slept, temptation took over. Driven by greed, Snake slowly consumed all the food, leaving nothing behind. When Echidna awoke and asked what had happened, Snake showed no remorse. Instead, it lied and mocked Echidna, claiming a stranger had stolen the food or dismissing Echidna’s anger entirely.
The betrayal cut deep. What began as friendship turned instantly into rage, and a fierce battle erupted between the two. Snake wrapped its long, flexible body tightly around Echidna, attempting to overpower it and strike with venomous fangs. Desperate to escape, Echidna ran blindly into a dense bush filled with sharp thorns and needle like plants. As the struggle continued, the thorns pierced Echidna’s skin, but instead of causing harm, something extraordinary happened. The sharp points fused into Echidna’s body, forming a protective coat of spines.
When Snake lunged forward once more, it was stabbed by the newly formed spines. Shocked, injured, and terrified, Snake retreated, slithering away into dark rock crevices and narrow underground spaces. The fight ended, but the transformation was permanent. From that moment on, Echidna was never soft again. It carried its spines as armor, and whenever danger approached, it learned to curl into a tight ball, protecting itself completely. Snake, humiliated and fearful, was condemned to crawl low to the ground and hide, forever wary of Echidna’s sharp defense.
At its core, this Dreamtime story carries powerful lessons. Betrayal destroys trust and leads to isolation. Greed creates enemies that last forever. Pain, when endured, can become strength. For Indigenous Australians, the story also serves as a natural explanation for why echidnas have spines, why they curl up when threatened, and why snakes slither and hide among rocks. Through storytelling, moral law and understanding of the natural world became one, showing how character, consequence, and the land itself are forever connected.